Treatment of Bipolar Disorder - Article Example

Usually, bipolar disorders are triggered by a factor in the environment in which the individual lives or coexists. In this paper, the etiology of bipolar disorder is discussed, as the current treatment strategies and the proposed DSM V changes, and their impacts on the diagnostic category. According to Loganathan (2010), the DSM IV defines four different types of bipolar disorder, which include Bipolar I, II, cyclothymia, and a condition not specified. The four different types of bipolar disorder all have different types of symptoms, for example, bipolar I patients usually display one or more episodes of manic depression together with at least one episode of depressive episodes.

Bipolar II combines major depressive episodes and at least one hypomanic episode, while cyclothymia includes more than two years of hypomanic and depressive symptoms. Conversely, non-classified bipolar disorders have resembling episodes but are not specific to any of the three disorders mentioned above. The etiology of bipolar disorder is usually similar for the four types mentioned, for example, the initial symptom is most likely depression for all patients, which tends to last more than hypomanic or manic episodes.

Another fact about the etiology of bipolar disorder is that patients with the disorder usually have substance abuse disorder, which is one of the comorbid factors associated with it. The main steps in identifying bipolar disorder are sleep patterns, personal history, family history, instability, and depression. The treatment strategies for bipolar disorder are usually based on the phase in which the disorder is in the current phase. The treatment of bipolar disorder is complicated by the diagnosis, patients are usually misdiagnosed the first time for the unipolar disorder.

Treatment planning for bipolar disorder is usually divided into two stages; medication and psychosocial interventions for the patient. Medical treatment of the bipolar disorder is usually focused on using pharmacologic therapy (Chung, 2007). Chung (2007) states that this pharmacologic treatment is mainly focused on patient mood stabilization since the disorder is characterized by different moods. The author additionally states that second-generation antipsychotics are used a lot since first-generation antipsychotics are effective for manias but may increase depressive symptoms.

Since the moods of bipolar disorder are varied, single medications are not usually effective. This is because of the manic, mixed, and depressive symptoms that need to be alleviated by the drugs. The drugs also need to stop the patient from relapsing into the original symptoms of the disorder. Therefore, recommendations indicate that anti-depressants are the best drugs for the management of the bipolar disorder, and the patient has to be monitored for manic symptoms which need to be addressed. For example, Chung (2007) states that Lamotrigine is effective in preventing and treating, and managing depressive episodes of bipolar disorder, while some SGAs are used for the management of manic phases of bipolar disorder.

When the patient encounters severe mania, the best recommendation for treatment is the use of a combination of antipsychotics and either lithium or other drugs. Since bipolar patients usually have troublesome sleep patterns and high anxiety levels, the use of benzodiazepines is also recommended by the FDA.